Saturated fats have had a lot of bad press in recent years,
having become vilified as the “artery-clogging” fat. Quite
literally, these are the fats our mothers warned us about. But
unlike the toxic fats we’ve traded them in for (grain and
seed oils like canola, corn, and soybean oil), saturated fats
are the most chemically stable and the most appropriate to
use for higher-heat cooking. Welcoming saturated fats (such
as coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and ghee) back to the
kitchen is a biologically relevant, real-world application that
may have a major benefit on your health.
A Fat Framed?
As a nutrient, saturated fat is not inherently unhealthy or
healthy. Its role in your health is dependent on a few
questions, such as: Do you eat a lot of sugar? Is your diet
heavy in processed foods? Do you consider ketchup a
vegetable? This is because saturated fat can magnify the
deleterious effects of a high-carbohydrate, low-nutrient diet.
(There’s also a question of genes, which I will explore in
chapter 5.)
Unfortunately, ultra-processed convenience foods tend
to be high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, and they are
often combined with equal amounts of saturated fat. Picture
hamburgers on white-flour buns, cheesy pizzas, creamy
pasta dishes, deluxe nachos, burritos, ice cream, and even
the seemingly innocuous bagel with butter. These foods
now make up 60 percent of the calories consumed in the
United States and are highly damaging to our health.^33
Some research suggests that the combination of carbs
and fat in a given meal can induce a temporary state of